“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
Romans 3:25
Propitiation means that God is satisfied. This is not a sentimental satisfaction, nor is it God simply deciding to overlook sin. It is the holy, legal satisfaction of God’s righteousness—fully and finally met in Christ. Without this satisfaction, there is no forgiveness, no justification, and no inheritance. Everything stands or falls here.
The Law: A Witness Against Us
Consider the scene in the Old Testament: the Ark of the Covenant, hidden in the holiest place, containing the tablets of the Law. Those tablets were not silent—they testified against mankind. They declared, with unyielding clarity, that the Law had been broken. Their testimony was not one of hope, but of condemnation:
“You cannot forgive them, God. Man cannot be reconciled, cannot be your heir. There is a record against him, and if You were to forgive him, You would not be righteous.”
This is the ministration of condemnation—the Law’s relentless demand for justice. It is not neutral. It is a problem for us, and it is a problem that cannot be solved by human effort, repentance, or religious striving. The Law does not bend; it accuses and condemns.
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory."
2 Corinthians 3:7-9
The Only Satisfying Answer: Christ Set Forth
God did not ignore the Law’s testimony. He did not sweep our record under the rug. Instead, He answered it—publicly and perfectly—by setting forth Jesus as the propitiation. This is not a hidden transaction. It is a declaration, a display of God’s righteousness for all to see.
In the old covenant, the High Priest sprinkled the blood of a lamb on the Ark, temporarily covering sin and postponing judgment. But this was only a shadow—a ministration of death, not life. It could never truly satisfy God or cleanse the conscience.
But now, God has set forth Christ. His blood has been shed and presented before God. This blood does not merely cover sin; it removes it. It does not postpone judgment; it satisfies it. The demands of the Law are met, not bypassed. God is satisfied with Christ’s work—fully, finally, and forever.
The Result: Justification and the End of Condemnation
What does this mean for you? It means that justification is not a legal fiction or a divine loophole. It is the direct result of God’s satisfaction with Christ’s blood. When you believe in the blood of Christ, you are justified—not because God has compromised His righteousness, but because He has upheld it.
“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
Romans 3:26
This is the ministration of righteousness—the ministry of the Spirit that exceeds all former glory. God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. The remission of sins is not a mere pardon; it is the public declaration that God’s righteousness has been satisfied on your behalf.
What Is Lost If This Is Denied?
If you deny that God is fully satisfied with Christ as the propitiation, you lose everything. You lose justification, because God’s righteousness remains unmet. You lose forgiveness, because the Law’s record still stands against you. You lose sonship and inheritance, because you remain under condemnation. Any system that leaves God unsatisfied with Christ’s work collapses the gospel itself and leaves you with nothing but the ministration of death. This is not a secondary matter; it is salvific. There is no peace, no rest, no assurance—only the endless demand of a Law that cannot be silenced.
The Finished Work and Your Assurance
The cross is not an offer of partial relief. It is the final word: God is satisfied. The blood of Christ justifies, cleanses, and secures your place as an heir. You are not left to wonder if you have done enough. You are not called to supplement Christ’s work with your own. You are called to believe—to rest in the public declaration of God’s righteousness, fully displayed and fully satisfied in Jesus.
Anything less is a denial of the gospel. Anything more is an insult to the finished work. God is satisfied. Are you?
Read the book:
Christ as our Righteousness Sanctification and Reward
